Bravery Comes In Different Forms
by Lily Michelle
Summary: Seamus and Dean spend a Saturday afternoon alone in Gryffindor common room. Confessions abound. Slash.


Disclaimer: Not mine. They are JK's. Don't sue.

Notes: SLASH Honestly, people, it's right in the summary. Don't read slash if you don't like it. And everyone else, remember to review!

**Bravery Comes in Different Forms**

It was a sunny, warm Saturday afternoon in late May. The second last Hogsmeade weekend of the year, actually. For those reasons, the Gryffindor common room was unusually empty. Those who could go, were down at the village, and those who could not were outside enjoying the sun before they had to strap down for exams.

There were, of course, two exceptions to these reasons, in the forms of Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas. They were currently sitting in the common, remarkably silent. Earlier, Seamus had uncharacteristically snapped at the few stragglers, and so he and Dean had the common room to themselves.

Usually, Seamus would have been thrilled at that. He loved when he could sprawl across entire sofas without other people making him move. Unfortunately, he had a rather long and complicated Potions essay to finish and couldn't take advantage of the empty room.

The Potions essay was actually the reason that he and Dean were not in Hogsmeade. Seamus needed to finish it, and do well, to get his seventh year Potions credit and Dean had offered to stay and keep him company, or keep him focused, whichever was needed. Seamus had told him he should go down with Harry and Ron, but Dean refused to be moved.

And so, the late afternoon saw Seamus finishing off his concluding sentence at a table and Dean drawing in his sketchbook on a sofa.

"There. Done," Seamus stated proudly. "Even Snape will have to give this an Excellent at least."

Dean just smiled weakly. Seamus wrinkled his brow. There was something wrong with his best friend. He could tell, and it was his job to find out what.

He moved over to sit next to Dean on the sofa. "What's got you so bummed, Dean?"

Dean looked up at the ceiling. "Just thinking, you know."

" 'Bout what?"

Dean cracked a bit of a smile. "Neville, actually."

Seamus wrinkled his brow more. "What about Neville?" Seamus had never really considered Neville as a subject for serious thinking.

"How brave he is," Dean said, still not looking away from the ceiling. "Probably one of the bravest people I know."

Seamus couldn't conceal a snort at this. "Neville? May I remind you, Dean, that you have known _Harry Potter_ for almost seven years." He paused, creating a thoughtful silence. "Not to mention me."

Dean smiled a little again. Now, Seamus was worried. It was not like Dean to just let a conceited joke like that slide without a laugh or a disparaging comment.

"He's brave about different things, Shay."

Seamus wasn't sure he liked this conversation. If there were two things that he didn't like to feel, they were worried and confused. Dean had managed to make him feel both.

"Things like what?"

"Feelings and stuff, I guess," Dean said after a moment's thought. "Don't you wonder how he does it, Shay?"

Even more confused. "Does what?"

Dean sighed. "Go on like normal, knowing that everyone knows about him and Blaise. Knowing that some people hate him for it."

"You mean, he's brave for coming out?" Seamus felt a little uncomfortable now. He wasn't certain where Dean was going with this, but he wasn't sure he was ready for it.

Dean nodded. "Yeah, Neville's really brave about admitting his feelings, you know. Sure, Harry can face mortal peril without a blink, but you couldn't drag a confession on feelings out of him with a herd of thestrals."

Seamus grinned. That was true. He sighed inwardly. He couldn't change the subject now, so he would have to be brave and hope it came out the way he wanted it. "Are you jealous that Neville came out, Dean?"

Dean lifted a hand to scratch the back of him head. "Well, yeah, I guess."

"Do you like boys, Dean?" _Please, say yes. Please, say yes._

Dean looked at his feet. "Yeah," he whispered.

"Do you like Neville?" _Please, say no. please, say no._

Dean's eyes widened. "No. Just as a friend."

Seamus sighed imperceptibly. Now came the big important question that would decide his fate. "Do you like anybody?" _Please, let it be me. Please._

"Yes. But, I don't know what to do, Shay."

Seamus took a breath and then plunged right in. "You should tell him. You should definitely tell him."

Dean looked up at Seamus uncertainly. "But what if he laughs at me, or says no, or gets angry? What if he rejects me, Seamus?"

Seamus' heart clenched in his chest and his next words rose of him without even thinking. "He'd have to be crazy to reject you, Dean."

Dean's eyes flickered down to the open sketchbook in his hands and Seamus followed his gaze. The drawing was in Muggle pencil crayons, a medium Dean didn't use very often but really fit the picture. It was a portrait of Seamus, as he'd been all afternoon, bent over his parchment, writing. The background was blurry, as if Dean had just lightly colour shapes to represent objects and hadn't really focused on the scenery at all. Seamus himself was in sharp focus, clear cut lines and curves creating a distinction from the background. Somehow, Dean had managed to make Seamus glow, with yellows and light browns for his hair, soft pinks and peaches for his skin, and blues for his eyes and jumper. Seamus looked frustrated, but content at the same time. He looked…

_Beautiful._

Slowly, the real Seamus looked up from the picture and met Dean's eyes. In a voice so soft Seamus almost missed it, Dean asked, "Are _you_ crazy?"

Gathering his Gryffindor courage, Seamus forced his mouth to move. "Not in the slightest."

It came as no surprise to Seamus, when he felt Dean's lips press against his own. He simply sighed happily and kissed back.


End file.
